This is my first try at a bit of fiction. It is based in the UK, so no
American football, no diners and DEFINITELY no prom
nights.
It is about a young guy who had not had the best of boyhoods
and discovers one morning that he is not exactly himself.
It's not particularly original, but maybe that's my choice..
It may seem long, but stick with it.. I like story background.
By the way. there is no graphic sex here, so if you're into that,
you'll be disappointed.
This is a romantic, sweet transsexual story.
Improvements
By Annie
----------------
PART ONE
It was summer 1980, and John was about to enter Fourth year:
his most important. If he was to get the exam results he wanted,
he would have to really try and concentrate, and shut out the
bullying and rejection that had dogged him in his First, Second
and Third years.
He had come from a primary school where his quiet attitude and
weak frame and earmarked him for bullying. He spent a lot of
time alone or with the few friends he had managed to make. All
he wanted to do was keep away from the aggressive types and
lead a quiet life. He always thought he would probably make a
better girl than a boy, but didn't really think about it too much.
Girls always seemed to be left alone to get on with things; to do
their schoolwork, to play in peace with their friends. John's life
was an endless tirade of name-calling, chases and beatings. It
wasn't even as if he'd done anything to encourage them, like
mincing around or acting particularly girly.
He had eventually gone to Secondary school and hoped the
change of environment would help his situation and he could
start again. But of course the very people he hated and made his
life so trying went to the high school too, and so it started again.
Never mind, he thought, it was Fourth year next. He had spent
two years taking shit from the others but had made some good
friends too. John had also learned all the best places to hide and
the best routes to go to avoid trouble. He hoped that maybe by
keeping away from the others and buckling down to the work,
he would get those passes and finally be free. He was either
going in the direction of computers, which were rather clunky in
those days, but interested him a hell of a lot, or acting and
music, which gave him a lot of pleasure.
It was the Friday before he was due to start school, and John
was determined to do as little as possible on his last day of
freedom. He lay on a blanket on the grass listening to Radio 1
and thinking how idyllic the setting was. All he could hear was
the radio and the birds in the trees. Although it was very warm,
he still wore his shorts and T-shirt because he hated the way he
looked, but left his feet bare; he loved the feeling of the grass on
his feet. He was able to let his mind wander again and for the
first time in a while, he thought about how his life may have
been had his Mum had two daughters. He didn't so much
fantasise as rather think of the differences or parallels his life
may have taken.
"Suppertime", said his sister Louise, as she approached carrying
a large tray. She went over and sat down on the blanket and
gave John a nudge.
"Hey, come on then, Mum made this special"
"Mmmm", said John, as he sat up and got ready to eat. He was
surprised to see that it was 6pm already. It was still sunny and
hot however.
Louise had just turned nineteen and seemed quite happy with
her lot in life, working as a sales assistant in a photo shop, since
photography was her main hobby. She had just finished a week
of holidays too and although we only bumped into each other in
the evenings usually, we had spent a bit of time together over
the past week, and had sort of gotten to know each other again.
"What are you doing tonight then?" she asked.
"Nothing", said John, pouring the Coke.
"Listen, you, you've got to go and do something.. You can't
just spend the last day of the hols lazing about"
"Why not?? Isn't that what the summer's for?"
"Oh great", said Louise. "I tell you what. you could give me a
hand getting my darkroom setup in the loft. Dad finished it this
morning. how about it?"
"After supper, OK?" said John, who supposed it might be
interesting enough, since he was never usually allowed near her
photo stuff.
They polished off the rest of the ham salad and went back
indoors.
Their Mum took the tray and smiled at her children. "Nice
supper?" she asked.
"Yeah Mum, thanks.", said John and gave her a little peck on
the cheek as he left for his bedroom. His Mum was surprised at
the unexpected gesture, but it pleased her nonetheless. She had
been so worried about him recently.
John went to his wardrobe and put on a pair of trainers but kept
his shorts on. it was too hot. He tended to keep mirrors turned
to the wall, something which worried his parents a bit, but John
did not particularly like his reflection and only used them in the
morning getting ready for school. His body had embarrassed
him for years, and no manner of exercise or training could put
muscle on his frame. He seemed destined to be a weedy little
thing forever.
When he got up to the loft, Louise was already unpacking her
photo developing kit.
"Hey, Dad's done great here!", said John who had had to put up
with sawing and banging for the last two weeks.
"Yeah", said Louise," Isn't it great? Get the enlarger out of the
box and check it out will you.. I don't want sawdust all over
it."
He went over and picked up the large box and groaned. God, it
was heavy. John grinned at the name on the box. Durst..
sawDurst. hee hee.. That always made him smile. simple
minds..
Louise was opening other boxes. He opened the box and lifted
the enlarger out. It seemed to be OK, all it needed was a bit of a
wipe.
"I'll get a cloth", he said, and he left the loft to go to the
kitchen.
Louise looked towards the door and bit her lip. She wasn't
stupid. John had lost weight recently and she knew what was
wrong. Worry. He was so scared of that school, but was so
determined to make something out of himself he was going to
drive himself to the edge. She felt powerless but wanted to help
in some way, but she had no idea how.
Her thoughts were broken by John's footsteps on the stairs, and
she turned away quickly to carry on unpacking. But John had
noticed the look on her face.
"Hey. it's OK", he said softly, "I'm going to be alright. I've
just got some thinking to do. It'll work out."
Louise went over and hugged him.
"I just worry", she said, "you've lost weight and every time I see
you you're lost in some kind of dream"
"It's just something I'm battling with inside, Louise. It's gotten
a bit intense recently, but I'm not depressed or anything, so I
won't be doing something stupid."
"Just tell me what's going on then", she said," Maybe I can
help."
"I really don't think you can right now. It's just going to take
time.. Anyway. let's get on with the darkroom!"
Louise smiled. "OK"
The small room was laid out perfectly for a darkroom and Dad
had built in work surfaces to the walls. The ceiling had a strip
light and a red lamp for darkroom work fitted. All in all it was
perfect for Louise. She had an inkling to do some serious
creative work and so this had been a birthday present from her
Dad.
Both the kids were born in May, three years and three days apart
by date, and it was John's birthday in two days; he wondered
what his Dad would do for him. Dad was great. He wasn't the
kind of Dad who expected great things of his kids; he just
wanted them to be happy. Although he was not a high wage
earner, he tried to make birthdays special, and this loft
conversion was wonderful for Louise. Even though it was his
sixteenth birthday this year, John didn't really want anything
special that year. His mind was far too preoccupied.
After about half an hour of unpacking and laughing, the room
was well and truly ready.
"Not bad, little brother", said Louise, "I guess I'd better take
some photos"
She went down to her bedroom and got her camera
"Come on guys", she said as she ran into the garden", "I've got
some piccies to take, and I want all of you out here"
John went into the kitchen, shrugged and he and his Mum went
out into the garden while Louise got the camera ready.
"OK, just a few in front of the house", she yelled.
John and his Mum stood and smiled while Louise snapped
away. John tried his best to sort of hide behind his Mum and
found it hard to smile too hard. After about five pictures, Louise
finished the film and went indoors to do some developing.
"I'm going to my room, Mum", said John, "I'm a bit tired. too
much sun"
"Remember to get your stuff ready for school tomorrow, John",
yelled his Mum.
"Yeah, yeah", said John.
He went inside and went up to his bedroom, hearing Louise
working away in the loft. He looked out his school uniform and
schoolbag and laid them out on his bedroom chair. He pulled off
his trainers and shorts, turned on the television and lay down on
the bed. After a while longer of thinking about his life, he fell
asleep.
John awoke at 1am to the sound of static on the TV, so he got
up and in the darkness crept over and switched it off. He could
still hear the TV on downstairs, so he knew his Mum and Dad
were still up. Louise was bound to be in bed by now. He went
back to bed and sat on the edge for a minute or two, before
bursting into tears. He lay down and hugged his pillow, crying
inconsolably. He had just had quite a pleasant day today, and yet
he knew that there was two years of hell ahead, upon which his
whole life depended. What on earth had he done to deserve the
treatment he received at school?? Again he found himself
thinking that it might be different had be been born a girl.
At that point his bedroom door opened slowly and Louise poked
her head in.
"John?"
John struggled to compose himself, but it was no use.
"I'm sorry, Louise, I don't want anyone to see this"
"Oh God, John, what on earth is wrong. please tell me!". She
rushed over and hugged John tight and he held her close.
"It's just too much, Lou", he said, "I can't let Mum and Dad see
this"
At that point he let everything out. The school problems, the
weight loss, the way he felt about being a boy.
"Oh, John", said Louise, now crying herself, "I don't know what
to say. I don't know how I can help!"
"You can't, Louise", John sniffed, "it's just something I have to
live with. I don't know if I have the strength to get through the
next two years."
They talked, quietly, for half an hour about this and that and
John felt somehow relieved that he had told his sister, and was
amazed and heartened by her support and love. They had never
really been that close before, but knowing she knew about his
situation helped him calm down.
"I'm going to bed now, John. Are you going to be all right
tonight?", she said
"Yes, I'm OK. It's not the first time I've cried myself to sleep,
but you don't advertise the fact"
Louise smiled. "See you in the morning then. We'll talk more
on the way to school then, OK"; Louise always gave John a lift
to school in the morning.
"Sure. Listen, thanks. "
"You get some sleep..". Louise closed the door.
John lay back on his bed, emotionally drained. This wasn't what
he wanted, really. He figured it was his problem, and he didn't
want his family involved. On the other hand, however, he now
had someone who he could talk to about it, if it got too much
again.
He changed into a clean white oversize T-shirt for the night and
went back to bed. So tired was he that he fell straight asleep, but
had some interesting dreams. Dreams where he was at his
dreaded school, but he was enjoying it. He was popular with his
school friends, he was on the school swim team and when he
saw a reflection of himself in a mirror at the school, he was a
girl.
John awoke to the sound of his clock radio going off at 7.30am.
The breakfast show slowly brought him to consciousness and he
opened his eyes. Then he remembered that today was school
day. He groaned and turned over, but before he closed his eyes,
he saw his walls. The decor was different. He sat up and looked
around. It was his bedroom alright, but apart from the TV, the
contents were all different. The carpet was a cream colour
instead of brown, the walls pink instead of cream and his desk
had been replaced by a dressing table.
In a state of confusion, he got up, pulled his T-shirt down, and
went towards the bedroom door, brushing his hair out of his
eyes while doing so. He grabbed his long towelling robe and
looked out while putting it on. Everything seemed normal. He
could hear his Dad in the kitchen making breakfast, Mum in her
bedroom with the hairdryer going and Louise in the bathroom.
She popped out at that moment, getting a bit of a fright.
"Oh, morning", she said ,nervously, "it's all yours"
She seemed to have forgotten our little tête-à-tête the previous
evening and he was quite glad. He wasn't quite feeling up to it
right now.
John went into the bathroom, locked the door, and went to the
sink. The mirror was steamed up after Louise's bath, so he
grabbed a towel and wiped it.
If you've ever got out of bed too quick, and found your head
going dizzy, you'll know how John felt when he looked in the
mirror.
Staring back at him, open-mouthed was the face of a fifteen year
old girl, with long brown hair down to her shoulders.
John stared at the reflection for what seemed an hour, but was
only 2 minutes, examining every inch, feature and freckle. It
was still him. He could see that. But it was definitely a young
girl that stared back at him. After he pulled himself together, he
realised there was more to being a girl than a face and looked
down. He took off his robe, hung it up on the door hook and
steeled himself for what came next. He lifted his T-shirt and saw
white cotton pants underneath, and yes, it was smooth. He
pulled the T-shirt over his head and there staring back were two
smallish but perfect breasts. He collapsed on the floor with a
bump, head spinning. His Mum's voice came from the bedroom
next door.
"Joanne, are you OK?", she asked
Joanne??
"er.. Yeah, Mum, just slipped", he yelled and caught his breath.
His voice had changed too.
"Well get into that bath. You've got 45 minutes to get ready and
out to school"
John's mind took over and he got up and ran the bath. While it
was filling up, he wiped the mirror again and, yes, there she
was; Joanne. It seemed to be true. It was like a dream, but it was
all too real. He could not believe it. A dream come true. At that
moment, everything clicked into place and he knew he had to do
everything as normal and just "go with the flow". He tied up his
hair, somehow instinctively, jumped into the bath, washed
quickly, noticing the new parts he had been given with some
interest, got out of the bath and dried off. He put his bath robe
on and, pausing to take a breath, opened the bathroom door and
Joanne left the bathroom, leaving John behind, metaphorically.
She walked towards her bedroom and opened the door. Louise
popped her head out her bedroom.
"How are you feeling this morning then?", she asked, "Ready
for school?"
"Oh, alright", said Joanne (that voice again!)
"OK, see you downstairs, then. Toast and juice?"
"er.Yeah, OK"
She closed her door and Joanne closed hers. Wow!.. It was
actually real. Her name was Joanne and she was Mum and
Dad's daughter! She threw herself on her bed and giggled
madly with joy.
Pulling herself together, she knew she had to get ready for
school and so went over to the dressing table. She opened a
drawer and found a pair of pants, bra and tights. Pulling them
on, she got her uniform and put it on too. It was the same
uniform as before, but with a blouse and skirt instead of trousers
and shirt. Joanne picked up the hairbrush from the dressing
table, sat down and brushed out her long shoulder length hair.
She opened the makeup box on the table and applied a very few
touches to her face then applied lipstick, finishing off by putting
on a locket.
She straightened her clothes out and looked in the full-length
mirror on the wardrobe, and realised she had just dressed herself
and made-up for the first time and it had been completely
instinctive. She felt as if she had done it all before a thousand
times. The figure in the mirror was now a pretty 15 year old
schoolgirl. The one she had seen in her dreams the previous
night!
She grabbed her blazer and schoolbag and headed for the door.
She had only had half an hour to come to terms with this, but
everything seemed to fit together normally. The feeling of her
new clothes and the gravity of it all made Joanne feel quite
light-headed as she went downstairs to breakfast.
She dumped her blazer and bag down on the kitchen chair and
sat down at the table to see her Mum, Dad and sister for the first
time, as it were. No effect. Dad was reading the paper, Louise
was reading another, and Mum was taking toast out of the
toaster.
Dad looked up and smiled. "Hi Jo". It was the warmest smile
she had ever seen from him.
"Hi Jo", said her Mum
"Hi", beamed Joanne.
"Why are you so happy?", she asked, with a puzzled look on her
face, "I thought summer was over"
"Oh, just glad to be going back", said Joanne.
"Well, eat your breakfast if you want a lift, 'cos I don't want to
be late", said Louise, not looking up.
Jo sat quietly and munched toast and orange juice, her mind
racing. She got her timetable out of her bag and saw her name
written on the front; Joanne Palmer, and read that her first
lesson was swimming.
Oh God, she thought, talk about being thrown in at the deep
end, literally! She looked in her bag and saw that she had
remembered to pack her swim kit.
Remembered?
Finished off her toast, she saw it was 8.30am. time to go.
"Come on then, kiddo", said Louise, "Let's go"
She grabbed her blazer, put it on and got her bag.
"Don't forget, Joanne", said her Mum, "Be prompt home, it's
your birthday meal tonight"
She then remembered; it was her birthday the next day, and the
family were going out for dinner at a hotel.
"OK, Mum", said Joanne. She crossed the kitchen and kissed
her Dad and then her Mum.
"Bye"
"Bye, darling"
She went to the front door where Louise was waiting and they
left together.
Louise's car was a little white Peugeot and they got in started
the car. As they moved off, Louise turned to Joanne and said
"What the fuck is happening???"
Joanne's blood turned cold; Louise knew.
"Last night, I was hugging you while you told me that you
would have rather been born a girl, and today I wake up early,
go into your bedroom and everything's different!", she
exclaimed.
"You got up early?", said Joanne
"Yeah, I was worried for you, so I got up about 6am, and your
carpet had changed, your wallpaper and then, on the bed, was
YOU! I went to bed thinking I was hallucinating"
"To top it all", continued Louise , "Mum and Dad get up and act
is if you've been Joanne all your life, and then I get the same
thoughts"
"How do you mean?", Joanne asked.
"Well, I still remember you as John, right? But now, I can
remember Joanne too, and John is getting harder to remember!"
"I don't know what else to do. I'm just following my instincts",
said Joanne.
They were approaching the school.
" Look, just try and get through the day and we'll talk tonight",
said Louise.
"OK"
The car drew up to the school and Louise leaned over and
hugged Joanne.
"Look, I'm totally at a loss here, I can't make sense of this, but I
still love you and if it's a little sister I've got. well. that's
great". She smiled and we laughed through tears together.
Joanne got out of the car and waved goodbye, wiping her eyes
carefully so as not to make them too red.
Ahead stood the school gates . As she walked towards them two
girls she recognised from her class approached her and smiled.
"Hi Jo", said the smaller one, Cathy.
"Hi Cathy", said Joanne, "What's up?"
"Nothing", said Cathy, "Just meeting you as normal"
"Oh, yeah, right"
They walked across to the doors and the taller girl, Susan,
asked:
"What was that with your sister, Jo?"
"Oh, It's my birthday tomorrow and she's doing something
special for me."
"Aw. That's sweet of her. You two have always been close
haven't you?"
"Yeah. She's my best friend too."
"Oh, thanks", said Cathy
Joanne smiled. "Apart from you two", she said, hugging Cathy
and Susan's shoulders
.
They all broke into laughter as they entered the school. It was
8.55am and nearly start time.
"Better get a move on girls", said Susan, "the pool's the other
side of the school"
The three of them broke into a light jog and Joanne noticed her
breasts for the first time. She smiled.
When they reached the pool, on time, they made for the
changing rooms and each took a cubicle. Joanne felt suddenly
totally terrified. It was all right being naked in her own house,
but this was PUBLIC. She stripped off her uniform and got out
her swim kit. Her costume was in the school's colours; blue with
a read and white stripe. She pulled it on and tied her hair up.
The cubicle curtain was pulled back.
"Come on, Jo", said Cathy, "we're depending on you this
week!"
What could she mean, thought Joanne?. This was one surprise
after another.
She went out into the pool area and sat down beside her friends.
There were about ten girls altogether, and Joanne was still
feeling nervous and exposed. The teacher came out then and
started calling names. It was odd, she thought. The boys had
their surname called out, but girls had their first names called.
After this teams were chosen and for some reason everybody
wanted to be on Joanne's team. It was to be a relay race with the
team captain doing the first and last sections. Her rival captain
was Julie Higgins. Jo knew Julie was an excellent swimmer
from "before" and thought her own chances were nil; she was
not a good swimmer at all. The whistle blew and off they went.
Joanne powered on as fast as she could and found herself in the
lead! Not only that, but she was beating Julie hands down!! On
the return she was clearly winning and when Jo touched for the
next swimmer to take over, they were going great guns. The
captains climbed out of the pool to await their final section, and
Julie looked at Joanne as if she wanted to kill her. Uh, oh, she
thought, trouble. It was getting close now because one of the
girls had lost the lead Joanne had built up. Once again Julie and
Joanne took off. It was closer this time because she had a three
second start. The two captains sped down the pool. On the
return Julie was still in the lead, but Joanne was closing. As they
finished the race, they both hit the end wall at the same time.
a draw. Julie stood up and rushed over to Joanne. Jo was scared
of what she would do. Julie then broke into a huge smile and
said, "Put it there, girl!", and held her hand up for a high five.
Joanne returned it happily and they both started giggling, with
the other girls yelling and cheering.
"That was some race, Jo!", said Julie, " What a team!"
"Yeah, well done Julie", said Joanne
"I'm sure we'll get the district cup this year!"
"er.. I guess so", said Joanne, a little unsure of what she meant.
After a bit more messing about and playing they left the pool
and headed for the changing rooms. Joanne now seemed relaxed
when naked, but was still finding things a little odd, so she ran
into the showers first, followed by the others. She came out
towelling her hair dry and quickly changed back into her
uniform. Cathy pulled the curtain back again and grinned.
"That was great, Jo! Julie and you are the best!"
After blowing her hair dry, brushing it and re-applying make-
up, Joanne left the pool hall, pausing only in the entrance to see
the photos of the swim teams on the walls. There on the wall
was this year's girls team, and yes, there was Joanne and Julie;
Sprint and Relay Cup Winners 1979. Joanne's memory of the
event flooded into her mind where it had not been before. She
remembered the race, the excitement and the awards. Her heart
filled with pride at her achievement, before Cathy and Susan
pulled her away to her next class, English, double period!
"Come on, bighead", laughed Cathy, "we know you're a star!"
Improvements
By Annie
----------------
PART TWO
The three friends walked down the corridor towards a couple of
guys that I knew and then Cathy nudged Joanne.
"Here's David", she sang.
It was David Burns. Mr Popular; 16 years old, Prefect and just
entered Fifth year for his A Levels. As he got
closer, Cathy and Susan walked on ahead and Jo noticed "David
+ Joanne" on the book he was carrying!
She didn't know what to do. she was terrified. Before, John
had not been attracted to guys, but then he had not been
attracted to girls; so what now?
"Hi Jo", said David with a smile.
Joanne had never noticed how nice his smile was. She shook her
head.
"er. hi", she said, and smiled back.
"Been swimming then?"
"Well spotted"
"I've got you a little surprise for your birthday tomorrow"
Oh God, thought Joanne, how well does he know me? How deep
does this go?
"Oh, thanks. What is it?"
"Ahh... ", he said, smiling, "You'll have to wait and see! Must
dash, see you at break, OK?"
"Er. OK. Tuck shop?"
"Where else? See ya babe"
Joanne was really shaken at this. How did she know about the
tuck shop? BABE?
Another memory or two popped into Joanne's head. David
holding her hand walking home from school. David dancing
with her at the Christmas dance. David kissing her...
She pulled herself together and joined her friends who were all
smiles.
"OK, OK, lets get going", she said.
After English, which Joanne always enjoyed anyway, break time
arrived and she found herself hurrying towards the tuck shop.
Cathy and Susan disappeared off to the cloakrooms.
She joined the queue and was joined by David minutes later.
"Hi"
"Hi"
There was an embarrassed silence while they bought their food
from the shop and walked together towards the park behind the
school.
They found a quiet spot where no-one could see them and sat
down on the grass in the warm late-summer sunshine.
"Have I done something, Jo?", he asked. David was clearly
worried about Joanne's silence and preoccupation.
Joanne felt terrible. She reached out and held his hand.
"Oh God, no.", she said, " It's me. I'm just. having a hard
time right now, OK?"
"Can I help?"
"Not really. I've had a bit of a shock today, but I think it'll settle
down."
He leaned across and kissed her tenderly. Joanne felt a warmth
flow through her.
"If there's anything I can do.."
"No, no. it's alright, I'm not ill or anything. Just bear with
me. I'll be fine"
"OK. So long as you're OK"
"Yeah"
He kissed her again. This time she responded, holding him tight
and kissing him.
They stopped kissing after five minutes and David held her
close, stroking her hair. Joanne felt like she never had before.
She felt vulnerable, scared, yet comforted and loved. She held
his
hand for a while and they talked about little things; her
morning, his morning. They finally stood up and kissed again
before walking back to the school, hand in hand.
She knew that her memories had not lied. She really did love
this boy. They must have been dating for months, if she could
remember the Christmas dance. wait a minute. that's where
she met him!
They arrived back at school and kissed goodbye.
"I'll see you tomorrow, OK?", said Joanne
"OK, enjoy your night out, and remember, I'm here for you". He
said. There was that smile again. She could melt for that smile.
"Bye"
She wandered around the school looking for Cathy and Susan
and found them in the Girls' sorting their hair. Joanne joined
them and tidied herself up a bit.
"How's David?", said Susan
"Just fine", said Joanne
"You lucky bitch!", said Cathy, laughing
"I can't understand what he sees in me", Jo said, "There a lot of
other girls far better looking than me"
"Rubbish", said Cathy, "Anyway, you know he goes for the
sweet ones, not the sex bombs."
"Me? Sweet? Ugh", Joanne laughed
"You are too. Miss Sugar and Spice 1980"
"Yeah", said Susan," Sweet Sixteen tomorrow and never been.
well. you know!!!"
The three giggled like crazy and left the Girls' for the next
classes
The rest of the day passed uneventfully for Joanne, and she
found herself actually enjoying her classes and with no
distractions, her schoolwork was really going well.
Cathy and Susan were in almost all of her classes, so they kind
of kept her right. If she got lost she just checked her timetable
and she was able to find her way from class to class.
At the end of the day, she said goodbye to Cathy and Susan and
saw her Dad waiting for her in the car.
"Hi, Jo, good day?", he said.
"Oh. Just normal", she giggled
"What was that for?"
"Nothing, really", said Joanne, pulling herself together. It had
been the most un-normal day in all her life. But the most
wonderful.
"Well, it's good to see you in good mood tonight, because the
table is booked for 7pm"
"Great", she said, looking forward to a night out. Then a
thought hit her. What would she wear? School uniform was one
thing, but going for a night out with her family?? Maybe Louise
would help.
When they got home, it was 4.30pm and her Mum was just
home from her part-time job.
"Hi darling, how are you?", she said
"Oh just fine Mum", said Joanne
"Looking forward to tonight then?"
"You bet"
"Well off you go and do your homework and we'll start getting
ready about 5.30pm, OK"
"OK"
The first thing she did was go to her room and do her homework
she had always done this, even before. Oasis was playing on her
hifi and she finished around 5.30pm. She lay down on her bed,
propped herself up on her elbows and turned the TV on.
Just then she heard the front door go as Louise came home from
work. Joanne sat up on her bed biting her lip.. what now, she
thought.
She heard Louise's feet coming up the stairs and then the door
opened.
"Well?", she said, closing the door behind her, and looking
worried.
"er. well what"
"How did the day go?"
"Better than I could even imagine", said Joanne, smiling as she
remembered her wonderful day. Louise broke into a huge smile,
ran over and hugged her sister.
"Oh, I was so worried for you. I thought you would have
breakdown or something!"
Joanne told Louise all about her day , the swim team, David and
everything else.
"Yeah, I know.. I've always known.. It's weird I've two sets of
memories about you and it doesn't make sense"
"I've got the same, Louise, but John's now seem kind of
distant."
"Yeah, me too. I guess its you and me, kid, our problem", she
smiled. "Anyway, lets go get ready.. Dinner for the birthday
girl!"
"It was your birthday last week!", laughed Joanne, "I suppose
I'm having two!" They both fell about laughing.
"OK.OK..!! Enough!", giggled Louise, "Let's get ready"
Louise left for her bedroom and Joanne started to undress. As
she undressed she saw herself naked in the mirror yet again, and
marvelled at how she had changed. She wondered how she
would look when she was a few years older. Oh God. Periods!
Had she started them, or what? If she had when was the next
one due? She searched her dressing table drawers and found a
pack of panty liners. Oh well.. she'd started. She smiled to
herself.. she was going to be a mother one day! How
wonderful!
She put on her towelling robe and went to the bathroom. She
bathed herself and washed her hair and returned to her bedroom
as Louise took her turn in the bathroom.
For the first time, Joanne opened her wardrobe and gasped at
the clothes inside. they were gorgeous. Her tastes were for the
classic styles. Nothing too frilly or fancy. She nearly jumped
out of her skin as her Mum tapped on her shoulder.
"What'll it be tonight, darling?, she said.
"I've no idea, Mum", Joanne said, honestly.
"You'll find something"
"Yeah. Mum?"
"Yes darling"
"Do I seem any different to you at all today?
Joanne's Mum squinted her eyes for a minute, drew in a breath
and said "Yes, quite frankly."
"In what way?", asked Jo, worried.
"You've seemed happier today than I've seen my little girl look
for a long time", she said
Joanne burst into tears and hugged her Mum.
"I am, Mum. I can't explain it but I think things are going to be
just fine now"
Mum smiled and hugged her daughter tight.
"Good.. I've been a bit worried about you recently"
"Group hug!", said Louise coming into the room. So they did.
"Come on then. let's go, let's go", said Louise, "We've got an
hour!"
Their Mum went out and Louise turned to Joanne.
"Come on then, sis, let's get something together for you"
"No Louise. I'm going to do this myself"
"OK.. Good Luck" and she left the room.
Using her half-memory, she closed her eyes for a moment and
went quickly over to the wardrobe.
Joanne picked out a short black silk mini-dress and matching
jacket and silk camisole and picked up a pair of heeled court
shoes. She thought this would look classy but sexy.
She towelled her hair and blew it dry and then got out her best
undies, again using her intuition. She brushed her hair out again
and got dressed, avoiding the mirror. She slipped into her shoes
and put her jacket on. Turning round to the mirror, she gasped.
She was a pretty girl, yes, but was this classy woman in the
mirror herself? Joanne went over to her dressing table and,
slipping her jacket off, made herself up with a bit more care
than she had that morning and putting on her locket again.
Out of curiosity, she opened the locket and stared at the photo.
It was herself and David. It must have been a present from
him. It was very recent because her hair was the same. They
were holding each other looking very happy. The feeling of love
for him flowed through her again.
Louise came to the door as Joanne was looking at the locket.
She was dressed and ready in a smart red skirt suit.
"Lover boy, huh?", said Louise
"I guess so", blushed Joanne
"You look fabulous", said Louise, "It doesn't surprise me, but
also it does, if you know what I mean. Of course you do!!"
They fell about again.
"I've got something for you", said Louise, taking a photo out of
her bag. It was the photo she'd taken in the garden the day
before. But instead of Mum, Louise and John it was Mum,
Louise and Joanne.
"I didn't understand it last night when I developed it, but guess
it makes sense now!"
"Thank you", said Joanne, "I'll keep it forever"
Joanne applied some perfume and a few final touches and went
downstairs with Louise.
"Here's our girls", said Mum.
Peter, Louise's boyfriend had also arrived. He worked for the
same shop as Louise and they seemed to be getting semi-serious
lately.
Dad got up from the sofa and crossed to the girls. He kissed
each one on the cheek and stood back.
"My little girls. You've certainly grown up. And where's my
little tomboy, Jo? Eh?"
Joanne blushed. This scene could not have been dreamed about
the previous evening.
"OK gang, let's go", said Dad, opening the front door.
They all got into Dad's car and left for the hotel.
The evening went well for the most part and the food was
exceptional. They laughed and joked and occasionally Louise
passed knowing glances to Joanne.
It was almost 11pm when they left and it had been wonderful.
Joanne felt she was on a cloud, when they got home, Mum
reminded her she had school the next day and to go to bed.
Joanne went upstairs while Mum and Dad went into
the lounge and Louise said goodbye to Peter on the doorstep.
Joanne opened her door and collapsed onto her bed and lay
there, her mind a fabulous whirl. Louise come into the room a
few minutes later and sat down in Joanne's chair.
"Well, honeypie", she said, "You've arrived!"
" I guess I have", said Joanne, "But what if it all disappears as
quickly as it came?"
"Oh yeah, sure. it's very nearly midnight. Are you scared that
your dress will turn into rags and a pumpkin appear from
somewhere? Jo, nothing's going anywhere"
"Wait till midnight, Lou, please.. It may sound silly, but, well,
please."
"OK, You've got two minutes", she said, looking at her watch.
Joanne bit her nail nervously as the clock counted down.
Midnight!
The room went into darkness and when the lights faded up, very
slowly, Joanne, in terror, thought she saw John's wallpaper and
the brown carpet coming back.
Suddenly the lights snapped back on and Louise was standing at
the door. Everything looked fine.
Joanne was breathing heavily and was a bit shocked at the
sudden power failure.
"Night then", said Louise, "see you tomorrow"
"Lou!"
"What?"
"Is John gone forever then?"
"John who?"
"You know.."
"What? Peter? Sorry Jo, I don't know what you're on about, it's
been a long day"
"But what about your brother?"
"Brother? You've been at the champagne! Don't let Dad catch
you! I'm tired. Night sis"
Joanne stared at the closing door. Louise had forgotten.. Joanne
could still remember John, but no-one else... she smiled and
started to undress. There was magic in the air that day and a
miracle had come to her house the previous night and finished
its work tonight. As she went through to the bathroom to wash,
she bumped into her Mum who smiled and wished her
goodnight.
As she made her way back to her room, her mind was filled with
images of that day and of so much more. things she had done,
yet not done.
She took off her robe and took a clean nightie from the
cupboard. Pulling it over her head, she wondered how so much
could happen in such a short space of time. Her life was perfect,
from misery to magic, in a few hours.
The bed looked inviting as she slid between the sheets. She
didn't know how tired she was. Memories of events past that
John had no part in were now filling her mind. As she reached
over to switch her bedside light off, she wondered just what
surprise David had for her birthday the next day.
Improvements
By Annie
----------------
PART THREE
Once again, the breakfast news woke Joanne up slowly and she
sat up in bed to rub her eyes. Nervously, she checked herself.
Yes, she thought, still there.
She remembered it was her birthday today; sweet sixteen years
old. Before this week she did not care whether it was her
birthday or not, but now she could think of a dozen things she
wanted. Well, she would wait and see what the day brought,
both at home and school. Good, she thought, she'd remembered
to set her alarm for 6am so she could open her cards and stuff.
She pulled off her nightie and pulled on her bath robe. She bent
down to pick up her dress from the night before, brushing her
hair back as she stood up and heard her sister leaving the
bathroom.
Joanne rushed the door and opened it, catching Louise before
she closed hers.
"Lou", she said, "How's things this morning?"
"Fine. How's the birthday girl?" said Louise, distractedly.
"You really don't remember then?"
"What are you talking about Jo? Last night? Of course I
remember, it was a great night, now get ready for school, 'cos
I'm not being late.". Louise closed her door.
Joanne went to the bathroom and ran her bath. It was true then.
Louise's memory of John had gone totally, leaving only Jo
remembering anything of her previous life.
Good, she thought, it's my own secret, and now it's time to get
on with my life.
After bathing and dressing, she went downstairs for breakfast.
"Morning", she said
"Hi Jo", said her Dad, smiling another of his wonderful smiles.
"Hi darling", said her Mum, and handed her a plate of toast.
She also handed Joanne a pile of birthday mail which had
arrived that morning.
Suddenly, the family broke into "Happy Birthday", making
Joanne blush slightly.
She started opening her cards. There were cards from her family
as well as her friends but the biggest one was from David. Oh
God, she thought, what an embarrassment. Inside it read,
"To my darling Joanne, Happy birthday, best wishes and all my
love on your special day, xxxx"
"Let me see David's", said her Mum.
"Yeah, Jo, let's view the mush", said Louise, laughing.
"Aw, Mum.. It's personal", said Joanne
"Come on sweetheart, please?"
Joanne handed her the card and busied herself opening the
others.
"That's so sweet, darling", said her Mum, "He's a real catch.
You two are going out tonight aren't you?"
Joanne looked surprised. Her erratic memory had not reminded
her of that!
"Er. I guess so", she stammered
"Well you've been looking forward to it for a week now"
"I know", lied Joanne, "We'll see"
After opening her cards and putting them up on the table, she
got a row of parcels out in front of her. Joanne was delighted
and didn't know where to start. Her family were watching her
eagerly and so she started to open them.
The first was from her Dad and Mum. It was a box containing a
set of matching gold earrings and necklace with diamond insets.
Probably worth a fortune and absolutely gorgeous, she thought.
She hugged her parents and kissed them both, tears welling up
in her eyes. Mum and Dad beamed happily. It was Louise's
parcel next. A bigger box with shiny paper. The box contained a
velvet off-the-shoulder dress which reached to her knees and
had a deep neckline. Very classy, and beautiful. Joanne hugged
Louise and packed her on the cheek.
"That's for tonight", said Louise, "with David"
Joanne knew that she would love David to see her in this, and
was getting a little excited about her evening out.
She continued to open her remaining parcels, whilst watching
her time for school; underwear from Aunt Sylvia, perfume from
Uncle Mike, money from various relatives. It was all wonderful,
but she would have time to ring her relatives up later when she
got home. She also couldn't wait to try that dress on.
"OK, Jo", said Louise, "Let's make a move"
"OK"
Joanne put her blazer on and picked up her bag, giving her
Mum and Dad an extra kiss and hug for her special breakfast.
"Bye sweetheart", said her Mum, "see you tonight"
The two sisters left and went into the car. Louise started the car
and they drove out of the driveway.
"Lou?", said Joanne.
"Yeah?"
"How old were you when you first had sex?"
"I told you that night, remember? I was fifteen. Remember
Gary?"
Joanne did. He was a nasty piece of work and Louise was well
shot of him.
"Did you love him at the time?"
"Not really. It was Christmas time, I was drunk, he was there.
ba ba boom. Wait a minute!! Are you thinking about doing
something tonight???"
"No, no ,no! I just wondered."
"Well there's nothing to stop you now, you know. You've been
Miss Virginity for the last year and before that you were a
tomboy. Maybe it's time you had a bit of fun now you're 'legal'"
They burst out laughing and continued until they reached the
school gates.
"OK, Lou, see you tonight"
"Bye sweet sixteen!"
"Stop it!", laughed Jo, closing the car door.
Cathy and Susan were waiting beside the gate as per usual and
they started to sing the Neil Sedaka song too. Joanne groaned.
Her two friends made a big fuss of her and they chattered about
the night before and David's night out for her.
They arrived at their first class of the day, Maths, and settled
down for the morning's work.
By breaktime, her brain was buzzing. She seem to be absorbing
the information so easily. If it kept up like this her exams next
year would be a breeze. Cathy and Susan were good students too
and when in the class they worked well together, saving their
fun for outside the class.
She made her way to the tuck shop, where David was waiting
with their usual sandwiches. Joanne was delighted to see him.
"Hi babe", he grinned, "How's my sweet sixteen then? Feeling
better?"
Joanne groaned. How many more times?
"Oh yes", she said, "Everything's fine. Let's go to the park"
They went to their usual spot and kissed each other passionately.
"Wow", said David, "You've certainly cheered up!"
"Yeah, I said it would all blow over."
"How did last night go then?"
"Really well. Lovely meal and everything." Joanne decided to
come to the point.
" So, what are you planning in that evil little mind of yours for
tonight??"
David laughed. "Just something a bit special; wait and see"
They embraced and spent the next five minutes in each other's
arms.
When they parted, Joanne looked into his eyes. How could she
be so lucky? This boy was so special to her. She was
experiencing feelings she had never felt before, and had to
remind herself she was in a public park. She giggled.
"What's up?", said David
"Oh nothing", said Joanne, "I'm just happy"
He hugged her again. Eventually they got up and started
walking towards the school again.
"I'm up for head boy this year", said David
"Wow! Well, you've got my vote!"
"You need to be a prefect to have a say, and even then the head
has the last word"
"Well, if I improve as well as I think I can this year, I could be
joining you in the prefects room!"
"That would be great! Look, We'd better split, I'll see you round
at your house tonight at 8pm, OK?
"Fine."
They made it back to the front doors just in time before the first
bell went and they kissed each other quickly and said goodbye.
Cathy and Susan were waiting outside the science department
for Joanne.
That afternoon comprised Physics, History and French, her
worst subject.. Even that, however ,seemed easier than before.
Her Mum picked her up from school this time. Joanne said her
goodbyes to Cathy and Susan, who couldn't resist teasing her
about the night ahead and jumped into the car.
"Hi, sweetheart", said her Mum, "Good day?"
"Not bad, Mum"
"Still got the birthday bug?"
"I guess so. It feels a bit weird being sixteen", said Joanne, "I
feel more adult for some reason"
"Well, it certainly is one of those landmark birthdays. Do you
remember Louise's a few years ago?"
"I certainly do". Louise had had a rather raucous party at the
house and John had ended up having a crap time, being ignored
by everybody and being rather ill; someone had spiked his bottle
of cola for a laugh. Strangely, she also remembered Joanne
having a whale of a time.
This double-memory bit was getting tiring. Jo almost stopped
being a tomboy just then, after getting some unexpected
attention. She used to wear her hair short and tended to wear a
lot of jeans and sweaters, but she rather blossomed after that
party. She grew her hair long and started to dress pretty. It's
amazing what a bit of self-confidence can do.
"You slowly started to turn into a young lady after that", said
her Mum, "Something nice must've happened!"
The memory flooded into Joanne's mind. His name was Brian,
he was thirteen, the same as Joanne, and he'd come to the party
with his older brother. Joanne had spent most of the time eating
nibbles and drinking orange juice. She'd even let Louise do a
make-over on her for the party and was wearing a short black
skirt, heels, a white bodysuit and a jacket. She'd met some nice
people here who thought she was cute, but Brian had called her
beautiful, and this was a new word to Joanne. They'd gotten
talking about this and that and ended up in Joanne's bedroom
with two plates of food. They both seemed have an interest in
swimming, which was taking up more of Joanne's leisure time,
as she trained quite often. He went to the other main secondary
school where he was now their Front Crawl speed champion.
They still bumped into each other at swim meets from time to
time. That evening he'd made a move on Joanne, and she drew,
back, very scared, but he'd made her feel safe, but promising not
to go too far. They'd kissed and touched, and Joanne had felt
things she'd never felt before. They ended up on the bed, but
Brian was true to his word. Although they made out for a while,
he never tried to take advantage of her. After about an hour,
they decided they had probably been missed and so made their
way downstairs after straightening themselves out a bit. If
anyone had noticed her disappearance, no-one seemed to say so,
although Louise did grab her sister and ask her excitedly what
had happened.
Yes, she remembered Louise's night alright.
"When's David coming over?", asked her Mum
"About 8pm", said Joanne
"Good."
They got home and Joanne went upstairs to do her homework
again. She finished around 5.30pm tied her hair back and got
changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. She then went downstairs
for supper as Louise arrive home from work, giving her sister a
wink as she climbed the stairs. Joanne had a fair idea what she
meant.
She sat down in the lounge on the sofa beside her Dad who was
watching the news.
"Hi Jo", he said
"Hi Dad. I don't want much to eat since I'm going out later,
OK?"
"Sure. I made some chicken sandwiches for you. They're in the
fridge.
Joanne crossed to the kitchen where her Mum was getting the
rest of the supper ready. She got her sandwiches and a can of
Coke from the fridge and went back to the lounge.
Her Dad turned to her.
"You will be careful tonight, won't you Jo?"
"Dad, I'm not going to do anything stupid", said Joanne,
knowing what he was meaning.
"You're sixteen now, but that doesn't mean you have to do
anything you don't want to."
"It's cool, Dad. I'm a big girl now. I can handle myself"
She was right, too. Her swimming had toned her muscles up and
she was stronger than she looked. To anyone who didn't know
her, she looked quite pretty and vulnerable, but her toned
muscles meant that anyone trying it on with her would get a
shock. That was when the tomboy in her would tend to
reappear. She remembered punching out Tom Kidd last
Christmas when he grabbed her and tried it on. The John in her
also remembered that before he changing into Joanne, he had
never punched anyone. Rather it was he who was the punchbag.
She sat and munched sandwiches, grateful for the food, since
she was starving and wouldn't eat again until 9pm. Joanne then
noticed her Dad looking at her and smiling.
"What is it, Dad?"
He laughed. "It used to be Louise who was the feminine one but
even in that outfit with your hair back you're such a lady these
days."
Joanne blushed. "Well, I guess nature takes it's course,
whatever", she said. And how, she thought, ironically!!!
Louise came into the room catching a bit of the conversation
and laughed. She was wearing jogging bottoms and a T-shirt.
"That's our Jo!"
"Oh, not you too, Lou", Joanne smiled
Louise sat on the sofa beside her sister and giggled. She leaned
across and whispered in Joanne's ear.
"Just as well your period was two weeks ago!"
"Louise!", yelled Joanne, laughing. Well, she thought, at least I
now know where I am in my cycle!
"What was that all about", said their Dad
"Girl stuff Dad" said Louise
"Ah"
Joanne decided to call her relatives and friends to thank them
for her presents, after which she felt kind of tired and so went
upstairs for a lie down. She put some music on her hifi. As she
lay on her bed, her mind tried to cope with all this new
information and experiences filling her mind. One thing was for
sure, when David was around, all such thoughts disappeared.
All she did was think of him at those times. She smiled to
herself. Would she do "it" later. The thought scared her a bit,
but excited her too. She fell into a nap.
"Joanne!". Louise woke her up with a shake, "It's 7pm! I
thought David was coming at 8pm?"
"Shit!", said Joanne, sitting up with a start, "Run me a bath will
you?"
Louise disappeared into the bathroom and Joanne stripped of
and put her robe on. The nap had refreshed her a bit, but now
she was pushed to be ready in time.
She took off her jewellery and went to the bathroom. She bathed
and washed her hair and came back into her room. She towelled
her hair and looked out her outfit for the night. Her present from
her sister, the little black dress, was on her chair and so looked
out black tights, black heels and some sexy undies.. Just in
case! She chose a strapless bra because of the dress's design.
She sat down at her dressing table and brushed her hair out. She
decided to curl it that night and so looked out her large curlers.
She put them in and decided she looked ridiculous! Two days
ago, this would have been unimaginable, but with Joanne's body
and memories of things past she had never physically done, the
whole process of pampering herself and getting ready came to
her totally naturally. She just took a guess and the guess was
always right. Feminine intuition at it's best! After subjecting her
hair to a blast or two from the dryer, Joanne took the curlers out
and her hair fell about her shoulders in big, soft curls. She
gaped. It seemed to make her look older and sexier at the same
time. Time to get dressed. She dressed quickly and stood in
from of the mirror. The dress was a perfect fit and she had to
admit to herself; she was a knockout tonight. It was already
7.45pm, so she quickly applied a little makeup and then,
removing her normal pierced sleepers, she put on the earrings
and necklace her parents had bought her, a final squirt of
LouLou and a quick brush of her hair and she was done. She
crossed to her wardrobe and pulled out a black coat and grabbed
her handbag, pausing one last time at the mirror. She could just
not get over it. Unbelievable. She looked at least eighteen and
drop-dead gorgeous. She went downstairs where her Mum and
Dad and Louise were watching TV. Joanne hung her coat and
bag up in the hall. She prepared herself and went into the
lounge.
"Well? Will I do?", she said.
Her family turned and with one very comical motion all three
dropped their jaws.
"Oh, Jo!"
"You look fabulous, kiddo"
"Oh darling, I can't believe it"
"OK.OK. Thanks. It's still me under this, OK?", said Joanne
Her family all laughed and Jo crossed over and hugged them all
again, thanking them for her birthday gifts.
"Come on, Jo", said Louise, "You don't want to be down here
when David arrives. You want to make a grand entrance down
the stairs!"
"Good idea, Lou, come with me"
"OK"
The two sisters went upstairs to Joanne's room, leaving her
Mum and Dad still slightly shell shocked.
"It's terrific", said her Dad to her Mum, "To think we couldn't
get her out of jeans a couple of years ago! She would never have
worn something like that back then"
"She wasn't a young woman back then, Scott", said Mum," she
was just a little girl who was interested in sports and school."
"I guess so, but I'm worried in case she leaves her studies and
sports behind to concentrate on boys and stuff"
"She's too level-headed for that. Tonight is very special to her.
She's entitled to make a special effort. The last time she got
dolled up was Christmas, remember, when she met David?"
"Yeah, I guess so. But she is a knockout, isn't she?"
"She certainly is"
Back upstairs, Louise was looking out the window for the taxi
while Joanne say on her bed, biting her nail, which was now a
dark red colour. She was getting scared again. This was new
ground for John AND Joanne and she didn't have any
"refresher" memories to help her this time.
"I don't know what you're so scared of, Jo", said Louise, "and
stop biting your nail! Oh my God, he's here! Stay here until
you're called!"
Joanne's heart was trying to hammer its way out of her chest,
which was looking very good thanks to her strapless
Wonderbra!
The front doorbell went. A couple of minutes later, she heard
her Mum's voice call her down.
Joanne stood up, checked herself in the mirror again and turned
the door handle....No going back.
She went out and started down the stairs. Then she saw David
wearing the same expression that she'd seen her father wear just
ten minutes previously. He was wearing a well-fitting black suit,
shirt and tie. His broad chest filled the jacket well and Joanne
realised she, too was gaping! She ran down the last few steps
into his arms and kissed him on the cheek.
"Jo, you.. you're . Oh, God, I'm speechless"
"You're not so bad yourself, Dave", she grinned
"Here dear". Her Mum was handing her her coat and bag. She
slipped on the coat and said her goodbyes to the family,
promising not to be too late, waved, and got into the back of the
taxi with David. The night lay ahead.
END OF PART THREE